What 'health & well-being' covers: Health and well-being is part of the theme Identities. You need vocabulary to talk about diet, sleep, exercise, stress and physical and mental health.
How to use this list
- Give your opinion about health habits.
- These are common English B words. Treat the list as a glossary.
- Learn each term with its meaning and a synonym.
- Reuse the terms in the reading and writing sections.
- health
- the state of being well in body and mind
- well-being
- a state of being comfortable, healthy and happy
- diet / eating habits
- what and how a person usually eats
- a balanced diet
- a diet with the right mix of foods, nothing overdone
- to exercise / to work out
- to do physical activity to stay healthy
- sleep / to sleep well
- the rest you get at night; to rest fully
- to be / keep fit
- to be in good physical condition
- mental health
- the state of your emotions, mind and mood
- stress — stressed
- pressure and worry — feeling that pressure
- fast food / junk food
- quick, processed food that is often unhealthy
- to look after yourself
- to take care of your own health and needs
- healthy habits
- regular actions that are good for your health
- in the fresh air / outdoors
- outside, in the open air
| Useful expression | What it means |
|---|---|
| I try to eat a balanced diet. | I make an effort to eat a healthy mix of foods. |
| I exercise to keep fit. | I work out so I stay in good shape. |
| Sleeping well is essential for your health. | Good sleep matters as much as diet and exercise. |
| I look after my mental health as much as my body. | I care for my mind, not only my physical fitness. |
| I eat too much fast food. | I have more processed, unhealthy food than I should. |
Why this matters: This vocabulary turns up in every skill — a reading text on diet or sleep, a listening interview about routines, a Paper 1 article on health, or your oral. Reusing precise topic words is how you score Criterion A (Language).
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Have something to say: Examiners reward developed ideas, not just vocabulary. Take a position and back it up.
Common debates on health
- Fast food and diet
- The importance of sleep
- Exercise and the outdoors
- Looking after your mental health, not only the body
Opinion phrases (use these to introduce a view)
- In my opinion… / From my point of view… — to introduce what you think
- It seems to me that… / I believe that… — a slightly softer way to give a view
- The most important thing is… — to highlight your main point
- On the one hand… on the other hand… — to weigh up two sides
- I (completely) agree that… / I'm not convinced that… — to react to an idea
Bad habits (drawbacks)
- Many people eat fast food and don't sleep enough.
- Stress harms your mental health.
- A sedentary life drains your energy.
Healthy habits (benefits)
- A balanced diet gives you more energy.
- Sleeping well improves concentration and mood.
- Exercising outdoors reduces stress.
Getting active
- A fitness centre or a new class you recommend
- A cycling event or a community walk
- Say what happens there and the benefits
Mind and stress
- Exam anxiety: symptoms, effects, techniques
- A support group or a relaxation class
- Naming and understanding your emotions
Sleep and screens
- Why sleep matters at exam time
- How lack of sleep affects students
- Ways the school or you can improve it
- anxiety — anxious
- a strong feeling of worry — feeling that worry
- symptoms
- signs that something is wrong: headaches, a racing heart, poor sleep
- to cope with (pressure)
- to deal successfully with something difficult
- a breathing technique
- a way of breathing slowly to calm down
- a support group
- people with the same problem who meet to help each other
- to boost (your mood / energy)
- to make it stronger or better
- to sign up for (a class)
- to put your name down to take part
- to be sleep-deprived
- to have had much less sleep than you need
Link your ideas: Connectors lift your answer from a list into an argument: moreover (to add), however (to contrast), therefore (to conclude), although (to concede). Use at least two or three in any written answer.
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Read like Paper 2: Here is a short blog post — the kind of text Paper 2 (Reading) gives you. Read it once just for the general idea; don't worry about every word. Then we'll work through one exam question together.
Small habits, more energy (part 1): When I started upper secondary school, I was sleeping very little: I studied until very late and the next day I was exhausted and couldn't concentrate in class.
Small habits, more energy (part 2)
Then my doctor explained to me that sleep is just as important as food or exercise. Now I try to go to bed before eleven and I have fruit and oats for breakfast instead of pastries.
Small habits, more energy (part 3)
I also go out for a half-hour walk in the fresh air every afternoon. I haven't changed my life all at once, but with these small habits I feel more energetic and in a better mood.
- exhausted
- completely tired out; worn out
- to concentrate
- to focus your attention on something
- oats
- a healthy breakfast grain (porridge is made from it)
- all at once
- suddenly, in one go
- to be in a good/bad mood
- to feel happy/cheerful or upset/irritable
IB-style task — one Paper 2 question
One question, step by step
- The question — "According to the text, what does the writer have for breakfast now?"
- Find it in the text. Look for the word "breakfast": "Now I try to go to bed before eleven and I have fruit and oats for breakfast instead of pastries."
- The answer — Fruit and oats (instead of pastries). The words are right there in the text, so no outside knowledge is needed.
Reading technique: For an "according to the text" question, find the exact line that proves your answer — don't rely on memory or general knowledge.
The task: Your school is running a health week. Write a formal email to the head of student well-being, Ms Clarke: offer to run a short workshop on healthy habits and explain what you would share.
Write 250–400 words.
Formal email structure — 6 steps
1
Subject line
Give the email a short, clear subject. "Subject: Offer to run a workshop…"
2
Formal greeting
Open with Dear + title + surname. "Dear Ms Clarke,"
3
Body: who you are and why you write
Introduce yourself and give your purpose in the first lines. "My name is Lucy Brown… I would like to run…"
4
Your request
Say clearly what you want the reader to do. "Could I have one lunchtime and a classroom?"
5
Polite close
Thank the reader and mention a reply. "I look forward to hearing from you."
6
Sign-off and name
End with Yours sincerely and your full name. "Yours sincerely, Lucy Brown"
Subject → Greeting → Body → Request → Polite close → Signature
Model: the 6 steps in ~100 words
The formal email, step by step
- Subject: Offer to run a workshop during Health Week
- Dear Ms Clarke,
- My name is Lucy Brown and I am in Year 11. I would like to run a short workshop on healthy habits during Health Week. I used to sleep very little and was always tired, so I know how much small changes help. I would share three simple tips: sleep at least eight hours, eat more fruit and vegetables, and go for a walk in the fresh air every day.
- Could I have one lunchtime and a classroom for the workshop?
- Thank you for considering my offer. I look forward to hearing from you.
- Yours sincerely, Lucy Brown
Why it works: A strong formal email does this for each of the three Paper 1 criteria:
A — Language /12
- Range of forms: past "I used to sleep", polite "I would like to", "Could I have…?"
- Connectors: "so", "and"; a list of three tips
- Topic vocabulary: healthy habits, fresh air, tired
B — Message /12
- Task fully done: offers the workshop AND explains what she would share
- A clear, polite request
C — Conceptual /6
- Email conventions: subject line, "Dear Ms Clarke", "Yours sincerely"
- Formal register: no slang, purpose in the first lines
- A polite close: "I look forward to hearing from you"
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How listening is tested: Paper 2 also tests listening: you hear short clips, each played twice, and you never see the words.
How to answer — 3 steps
1
Read the questions first
Do this before the clip plays.
2
Listen for the key idea
Focus on the part each question points to.
3
Then answer
Use what the speaker actually says.
Questions → Key idea → Answer
Practise on the page: Here we'll use a transcript so you can practise the technique on the page. Read the questions, then find the answer in the speaker's words.
Transcript — Sara's healthy habits (part 1): Hi, I'm Sara. For a year now I've been taking good care of my health. I eat a balanced diet, with lots of fruit and vegetables, and I almost never have fast food. To stay fit, I cycle to school and play basketball twice a week.
Transcript — Sara's healthy habits (part 2)
To look after my mental health, I try to sleep eight hours and I switch off from my phone before going to bed. For me, the most important thing is the balance between body and mind.
IB-style task — two listening questions
Two questions, step by step
- Q1 — What does Sara do to stay fit? Listen just after "To stay fit": "I cycle to school and play basketball twice a week." That is your answer.
- Q2 — What matters most to her? She says it at the end: "For me, the most important thing is the balance between body and mind." Answer: balance between body and mind.
Listening technique: Read the questions before the clip plays. Each question usually points to one short part of the recording — listen for the words around it, not the whole thing.